


For Ophelia

by Emma_Bishop



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Angst, F/M, Sappy, Shakespeare, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-17
Updated: 2011-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-19 12:19:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_Bishop/pseuds/Emma_Bishop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Topher knows his Shakespeare and so does Claire. Takes place during and after "Ghost".</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Ophelia

Claire knows the spiels. Has heard Dewitt's Tabula Rasa speech. Claire also knows her Latin if she was the kind of person who still made jokes she would slip in a sly "subucula tua apparet". No she wouldn't. Adele Dewitt is a warrior goddess in high-end business attire.

Claire also knows Topher's speeches, little tricks to justify what he does to people. This time it's Boyd. "Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so". Claire knows her Shakespeare. Knows that "to thine ownself be true" and "neither a lender nor a borrower be" come from Hamlet's tedious fool Polonius who plots and schemes himself to an early death in Act III . This quote, though, is solid enough. Spoken by Hamlet himself, arguably Shakespeare's best piece of characterization. Wait. It's truncated. "Why then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison".

That can't be an accident. She trusts Topher to know what he's quoting. To take fiendish glee in knowing who says what when and how many lines and whether it's in verse or prose. When Boyd leaves she rushes in with the reports she wants Topher to review.

"Thanks for the sleep aids Doc"

She would brush it off as his normal flippant self but instead she says

" To Hamlet Denmark is a prison, that's what he's telling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern".

If he's surprised he doesn't show it just grins wider.

"Talented. Can identify bits of Shakespeare and skulk in doorways undetected. You'll make some poor soul very miserable one day".

It stings like his barbs always do. Someone. She keeps her own counsel on how much it would mean to her to have a someone. How does he always know where to strike? She would stay away more but she knows that's his objective. Topher Brink doesn't like her, she's sure of it. Thinks she's a drag says the right things to get her to avoid him. In return she keeps icy courtesy over her hatred of him. This has to be hatred, for what else could burn so? She lets the point drop and turns to leave.

Later that night when Topher lies in bed he thumbs through the volumes at his bedside. He's not in the mood for the exploits of Sam Vimes or Miles Vorkosigan. Can't stomach Frodo deteriorating into broken. The day had been bad. He lied . He always lied. Lied and insulted Whi- Claire. His hand rests on the creased paperback beneath all the other books. He opens it and flips through until of their own accord his fingers alight on one quote:

Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.


End file.
